Muslim gamers boycott PUBG Mobile for insulting holy site

PUBG Mobile is insanely popular in India -- so much so that four cities have banned the game for the sake of protecting children. An estimated 21 people have been arrested for playing it, and the game now appears to restrict playtime to just six hours a day in the country.

It would be natural to think that PUBG Mobile publisher Tencent Games is really in step with Indian culture, but a recent slip-up has angered a number of players in the country. The Chinese gaming company recently made a rudimentary mistake when it created an in-game item resembling the Kaaba, Islam’s most important shrine.

The item was part of a birthday crate PUBG Mobile introduced last week in celebration of the game’s one-year anniversary. The in-game gift basket ended up infuriating countless Muslim players, complicating the game’s popularity in India where about 15 percent of the population is Muslim.

In response, Muslim gamers took to social media, penning posts tagged with #boycottPUBG. Many players deleted the game, and some even signed petitions on Change.org requesting Tencent issue an apology. One of the campaigns managed to get more than 900 signatures.

After hundreds of angry posts, PUBG Mobile developers quickly took action, redesigning the birthday crate within a day. The company also tweeted an apology online.

While many are still livid at Tencent, some came around and commended the company for quickly addressing the issue.